1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a tilt-and-telescope steering apparatus, and more particularly to a tilt-and-telescope steering apparatus including an outer block between a distance block and a plate block, which are assembled together by a fastening means, which is in line with a longitudinal axis of an outer tube and is operated in cooperation with a control lever, so that the apparatus can be employed in a car having a specification requiring an adjustment bolt extending through the outer tube and can improve a space use efficiency by reducing an additional space for the adjustment bolt.
The present invention also relates to a tilt-and-telescope steering apparatus including, in substitution for a conventional bush disposed between an outer tube and an inner tube, an inner block that can move along a telescopic adjustment hole formed on the lateral surface of the outer tube while pressing the outer surface of the inner tube through the operation of the control lever, so that a driver can freely control the load of the telescope. Further, in the apparatus, the plate bracket, the outer block and the inner block are integrally coupled through a fastening means, so that it is possible to simultaneously perform a tilt function and a telescope function through the operation of the control lever.
2. Description of the Prior Art
FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view illustrating important parts of a conventional tilt-and-telescope steering apparatus. As illustrated in FIG. 1, a conventional tilt-and-telescope steering apparatus 100 includes an inner tube 103 and an outer tube 105 which surround a steering shaft 101 and can slide relative to each other, a mounting bracket 107 and a lower bracket 160 for fixing the tilt-and-telescope steering apparatus to a car chassis, a tilt bracket 130 integrally formed with the mounting bracket 107, and a distance bracket 120 coupled with the tilt bracket 130 by means of an adjustment bolt 140.
An upper end of the steering shaft 101 is coupled to a steering wheel (not shown) and transfers rotation force generated by a driver's operation of a steering wheel to a rack-pinion mechanism (not shown) in the lower end thereof.
The inner tube 103 has a cylindrical shape having a constant diameter, and surrounds a lower end of the steering shaft 101.
The lower bracket 160 is formed on the lower outer surface of the inner tube 103. The lower bracket 160 may be fixed to the car chassis, so as to fix the position of the inner tube 103.
The outer tube 105 has an inside diameter larger than the external diameter of the inner tube 103, and slides in the axial direction thereof on the outer surface of the inner tube 103. That is, a telescopic operation is possible. Meanwhile, the outer tube 105 surrounds a middle part of the steering shaft 101.
A telescopic bush (not shown) is disposed between an inner surface of the outer tube 105 and an outer surface of the inner tube 103, so as to provide a certain frictional force between the outer tube 105 and the inner tube 103 when the telescopic operation is performed.
The tilt bracket 130 and the distance bracket 120 are integrally formed in the mounting bracket 107, and both ends of the mounting bracket 107 are provided with capsules 110 for fixing the outer tube 105 to the car chassis.
An elongated hole is formed through a side portion of the tilt bracket 130, so as to allow a tilt operation depending on a driver's operation.
In the conventional tilt-and-telescope steering apparatus as described above, the longitudinal axis of the adjustment bolt, which extends through the tilt bracket and the distance bracket and is integrally coupled to the control lever, is not in line with a longitudinal axis of the outer tube, and the adjustment bolt is disposed outside the outer tube. Therefore, the conventional tilt-and-telescope steering apparatus can not be employed in a car having a specification, which requires an adjustment bolt extending through the outer tube and requires an additional space to be occupied by the adjustment bolt.
Moreover, the plastic material-made bushing for adjusting the frictional force between the outer tube and the inner tube in the conventional tilt-and-telescope steering apparatus cannot provide an appropriate frictional force and cannot allow a driver to freely control the load of the telescope when the bushing is worn away.